An $8 million gift to the Arts at UQ is set to benefit students, particularly those from rural backgrounds, for many years to come.
The injection of funds into the areas of art and music will enable the UQ Art Museum to establish internships, providing students with gallery and museum skills.
It will also help to deepen the School of Music’s longstanding partnership with the Queensland Music Festival, boosting music education and engagement across remote areas of Queensland.
A 2015 Industry Placement Bursary Recipient, Sarah Bradley (Bachelor of Arts ’16, Bachelor of Commerce ’16), said the opportunities provided by arts scholarships and bursaries were irreplaceable.
“My bursary helped with my practical education and career prospects; it allowed me to get real experience, advice and guidance in the Arts,” Bradley said.
The gift was a bequest from the late Paula (Bachelor of Arts ‘91) and Tony Kinnane, and is one of the largest Arts legacies in Queensland’s history.
UQ Art Museum Director Dr Campbell Gray said the Arts were challenged by a lack of organisational funding, which impacted the opportunities available for students.
“Government funding of the Arts has steadily declined over the past few years,” Gray said.
“Currently, Arts Queensland does not fund educational institutions and the split in funding from the Australia Council to the Federal Ministry for the Arts has dramatically reduced funding to small- and medium-sized arts organisations and has limited the capacity to obtain funds for the kind of work we do.
“It has already been shown that students who have these pre-professional opportunities are more likely to obtain attractive professional positions following their formal education.”
Paula and Tony Kinnane, who lived close to the St Lucia campus, firmly believed that art and music should be a part of any balanced education, and were passionate about ensuring everyone, particularly those from rural areas, had equal access to such education.
Their legacy will make the pursuit of an Arts education possible and help secure the future of many young art and music scholars.
For more information about bequests, contact UQ Bequests Manager Kate Heffernan on +61 7 3346 3904 or
kate.heffernan@uq.edu.au.